Now that I have completed my semester abroad I am beyond excited to share some of my favorite memories. Throughout this time I had the privilege of living right in the heart of Madrid, this allowed me to get around so much easier and I was always able to get around the city much quicker than if I had lived in the outskirts. During my time in Madrid, I got the chance to discover some of my favorite local spots such as watching the sunset from the palace which was only a 5 min walk from my apartment. Madrid has so much to offer in terms of food and I loved discovering new spots, one of my favorite tapas bars is called El mini bar! I loved going to that place for tinto de verano and their croquetas which are Spanish staples.
During my semester abroad I also had the opportunity to travel so much and I enjoyed exploring new countries with my friends. I was able to visit 10 countries during my time abroad and those experiences were unforgettable. Being able to travel in Europe is so much easier than it is in the US and I highly encourage anyone who is able to take advantage of this! Being able to visit all these countries allowed me to learn a lot about different cultures.
Being abroad was a lot of fun and the experience is so rewarding but I want to shed some light into a portion that lots of people tend to leave out. With good days also come bad days, there’s time when homesickness can get the best of you and I encourage anyone who experiences this while they are abroad to reach out to their support systems, it’s so important to take care of yourself and talk to those around you. Most of the time someone else could probably be feeling the same way as you. One of the ways I coped with feeling homesick was by reaching out to friends who had done previous exchange semesters and sure enough, they had experienced the same things as me.
I could not be more thankful for this experience and every day I am so glad I picked Madrid as the place to do my semester abroad. This city has so much to offer and I will forever cherish the memories I made with my friends abroad. To anyone who is interested in studying in Madrid do it!
